COOKING WITH NOELENE

Earlier this year, Churchill District News approached me about producing a booklet with a selection of recipes and cooking tips. The Churchill District News team have done it. I am so grateful for the opportunity to record some of the recipes that my family and friends enjoy and to be able to share the diversity and creativity of the people who surround me. The book is a wander through the old and new visiting the food and ingredients that bring us comfort and keep memories alive. The cost of the book is $15 and all the proceeds will go the Churchill District News. Noelene Marchwicki.

BANANA RICE FLUFF

Ingredients......3 cups of ready cooked long grain rice, 3 eggs separated, 3 ripe bananas, 6 tbs of raw castor sugar, 1 tbs of lemon juice, 2 tbs of slivered almonds. Preheat your oven to 160 deg C. Grease a 22 cm pie dish. Beat the egg whites until firm, but not dry. Remove the egg whites from the mixer bowl to a clean dry bowl. Place the egg yolks, sugar, and lemon juice in the bowl of your mixer without rinsing the beaters. Beat at the highest speed, adding the fork mashed bananas. Beat until the mixture is thick and frothy. Fold in the egg whites using a metal spoon. Stir 2 tbs of lemon curd through the rice. Place the rice in the greased pie dish. Now pour the beaten mixyure over the rice and scatter with the slivered almonds. Place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Made this for morning tea and shared with Maureen on Melbourne Cup day 2024.

CREAMY RICE MERINGUE

Ingredients......2 and 1/2 cups of ready cooked rice, 3 egg yolks well beaten, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk,1 tbs of butter/ marg, 1 dsp of lemon juice, 11 tbs of grated lemon rind, 1 dsp of vanilla extract. Ingredients for the meringue.....3 egg whites, 45gm of castor sugar. Preheat your oven to 180 deg C. Place the unopened can of condensed milk into a medium saucepan of water and boil for 30 minutes. This caramalises the sugar in the milk and makes a butterscotch sauce. After 30 minutes carefully open the can and empty the butterscotch sauce into a medium bowl. Now add the cooked rice, butter/ marg,lemon juice, lemon rind, vanilla extract and the beaten egg yolks. Mix thoroughly together and pour into a greased ovenproof dish. Prepare the meringue, beat the egg whites until stiff, then graduallyadd the sugaruntil the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is stiff. Spoon the meringue over the top of the creamy riceand place in the preheated oven until lightly browned. Serve warmed.

SLOW COOKED CZARDAZ BEEF WITH CARAWAY RICE. ( HUNGARIAN RECIPE).

Ingredients.....1.5 kg of cubed beef, 1 cup of drained pineapple pieces, 1/2 cup of chopped celery, 1 onion peeled and sliced, 1 tbs of chopped parsley, 1 tbs of brown sugar, 1 cup of tomato puree, 1/4 cup of barbeque sauce, 1 tbs of Worcestershire sauce, 2 tbs of canola oil,2 tbs of minced garlic and cracked black pepper to taste. Caraway rice.......1 and 1/2 cups of uncooked rice, 1 dsp of caraway seeds. Brown the cubed beef on all sides in a pan with the oil. Place the browned beef in the greased bowl of your slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Season with 2 tbs of minced garlic and cracked black pepper. Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. Near the end of the cooking time , prepare the caraway rice. Cook the rice in salted boiling water, till rice is tender and fluffed. Drain and gently toss the caraway seeds through the rice. Delicious.

STRAWBERRY RICE CUSTARD PARFAIT

Ingredients.....2 cups of ready cooked rice, 1 punnet of strawberries, sliced cross wise, 3/4 cup of desiccated coconut, 3 tbs of custard powder ( blended to a paste with a little milk), 2 tbs of castor sugar, 1 and 1/4 cups of cream ,( beat until thickened and peaks form ), 625ml of milk (2 and 1/2 cups). Place the rice in a large bowl and set aside. Heat the milk and add the blended custard powder and sugar. Stir over a medium heat until thickened and smooth, then pour over the rice in the bowl. Mix well together and place in the refrigerator to cool. When the rice custard is cool, fold in half of the whipped cream. Place a small amount of sliced strawberries in 6 parfait glasses or over the base of a glass dessert bowl. Sprinkle with coconut, then add 2 tbs of rice custard or more if you are using a dessert bowl. Repeat this process until the parfait glasses or dessert bowl is full. Finish with a layer of of rice custard, finishing with the remaining cream and top with a strawberry slice. Serve chilled.